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Advent Productions

Encounters With Jesus

Benjamin Ng

Jesus’ Encounter With The Devil

Jesus’ Encounter with the First Disciples

Jesus’ Encounter with Philip and Nathanael

Jesus Encounter at the Wedding Feast

Jesus’ Encounter with Nicodemus

Jesus’ Encounter with the Woman at the Well

Jesus’ Encounter With The Centurion

Jesus Encounter with the Blind Man Near Bethsaida

Jesus’ Encounter with the Man by the Pool of Bethesda

Jesus’ Encounter with the Man Sick of Palsy

Jesus’ Encounter with the Disciples in the Storm

Jesus’ Encounter with the Blind, Dumb Demoniac

Jesus’ Encounter with the Demoniacs of the Gadarenes

Jesus’ Encounter with the Woman with the Issue of Blood

Jesus’ Encounter with the Five Thousand

Jesus’ Encounter with John the Baptist

Jesus’ Encounter with the Disciples on the Sea

Jesus’ Encounter with the Woman Caught in Adultery

Jesus’ Encounter with Martha and Mary

Jesus’ Encounter with the Man Born Blind

Jesus’ Encounter with the 10 Lepers

Jesus’ Encounter with the Rich Young Ruler

Jesus’ Encounter with Blind Bartimaeus

Jesus’ Encounter with Zacchaeus

Jesus’ Encounter with the Woman with the Spirit of Infirmity

Jesus’ Encounter at Simon’s Feast

Jesus’ Encounter with Peter and His Denial

Jesus’ Encounter with Pilate

Jesus’ Encounters at the Cross

Jesus’ Encounter on the Road to Emmaus

Jesus’ Encounter with Peter at the Sea of Tiberias

Father in heaven, thank you so much for this time.

Thank you for seeing us safely through another week.

Thank you Lord for this blessed holy hours that we are in.

Whereas we're now coming to study your word once more, we ask for the presence of your Holy Spirit to teach us and to guide us and to illumine our minds to convict us and Lord especially to convert us.

May you please write your law and your words in our hearts even now and as we study help us to understand oh lord we pray in jesus name amen jesus's encounter with zacchaeus and we are going to go straight to the bible here our first text is found in matthew chapter pardon me in Luke chapter 19 verses 1 to 3.

I was a bit of confused there for a second.

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho and behold there was a man named Zacchaeus which was the chief among the publicans and he was rich.

And he sought to see Jesus who he was and could not for the press because he was of little stature.

Friends, what do we understand about who Zacchaeus was here in these first 3 verses that we read.

Well, he was a publican, but he wasn't just any ordinary publican.

The Bible said there that he was the chief among the publicans and also he was rich.

And on top of that, something that bears to mention always with Zacchaeus is that he was of little stature, meaning he was a short man.

Well friends, what do we understand about the publicans from the Bible?

And this is where we go to that first text we saw it was Matthew chapter 9 and verse 10 to 11.

And it came to pass as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

And when the Pharisees saw it they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners?

But in Matthew, we get a very interesting revelation about these people.

People viewed them as dishonest people and they were put in the category of sinners.

They were people that were looked down upon, especially in the Jewish economy.

And we also read in Matthew 18, and verse 17, and if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church.

But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

They, in Matthew here, they were put into the same category as a heathen person, someone who did not believe in God, even though they were Jews.

Because they worked for the Romans you see.

The Romans, they would get these people to collect their tax money for them and these publicans more often than not they were corrupt people, they were dishonest and it would take more than that was actually required to give to the Roman rulers.

And so they took advantage of their position as tax collectors to get rich.

He was rich remember and probably the only way that he got rich was through being dishonest.

We read here in Matthew 21 and verse 31 and 32.

It's very interesting the Bible says this Whether of them twain did the will of his father, they say unto him the first, Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and, what?

Harlots, go into the kingdom of God before you.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not.

But the publicans and the harlots believed him, and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward that ye might believe him.

Here the publican is put in the same category as the harlot, the prostitute.

This is just how much they were despised.

They did not have any sort of good reputation at all in spite of how much money they had.

And Zacchaeus, what position did he have?

Remember back in Luke the bible said that he was rich And he had obviously obtained all these riches in a dishonest way.

But you see, something had been happening in Zacchaeus' heart.

Let's go back to that first text that we read.

Jesus was passing through Jericho and we read in Luke chapter 19 and verse 3 the Bible says this, and he sought to see Jesus who he was and could not for the press because he was little of stature.

The Bible says that when he heard about Jesus coming through he really wanted to see Jesus.

He was searching and the Holy Spirit had obviously touched his heart somehow and he wanted to be in touch with Jesus.

He was too short and the people that were standing in front of him he couldn't see over them and not just that they were blocking his view.

They knew that he was behind them, but they were not willing to let him pass through.

You see, this just showed how much they despised Zacchaeus.

But Zacchaeus would not be deterred, you see.

He would not allow just anybody to just block him from seeing Jesus.

It continues here in Luke chapter 19 and verse 4.

And he ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for he was to pass that way.

You see the people are blocking him and so he runs up ahead and he climbs up into a sycamore tree just so that he can see Jesus as he passes by.

Remember Zacchaeus was a rich man He must have been wearing his fine clothing.

Even he probably slept in the best of pajamas when he went to bed and he had this nice robe and some nice shoes.

A rich man, he is never clothed to such an extent where he's ready to climb a tree though.

But Zacchaeus, he really, really wanted to see Jesus and he would let nothing get in his way.

Even though the people blocked him, he would not be deterred.

In Jeremiah 29, we read in verse 13 here, And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Friends, if we seek God with all our heart, we will find him, the Bible says, but it will require effort on our behalf.

He had to climb a sycamore tree just so that he could get a glimpse of Jesus.

He demonstrated the type of faith that he had in his heart.

Their faith was growing, it was brewing up into action.

Well he came out from his house first to see Jesus but even though he couldn't see him, He was going to climb the tree just to get a picture of Jesus.

You know, you would think that because he was a short man that he could speak to the people especially because he was rich and asked to be excused so that he could move through to the front but they did not like him remember.

This people, they despised him and no matter how much money he had, they would not let him through.

But Zacchaeus did not let this cold treatment from the people to deter him from his 1 goal.

And you know we've learned a really important lesson here from Zacchaeus.

You know who do those tall people represent?

They were going to where Jesus was and he would be found quote-unquote today in the church.

And look, friends, you've got to remember, just because people treat you in an impolite manner, just because people treat you in an un-Christ-like way, Don't let that be the reason as to why you should give up on your search for Christ.

It's going to require effort and Satan, he will put roadblocks in your path just so that you're not able to see Jesus.

And sometimes those blocks, they come from within the church, friends.

There are people that are unconverted in the church.

And I guess Zacchaeus, he must have been used to this cold treatment from other people already because you see they did not like him but Zacchaeus did not let this deter him from his 1 goal.

We got to be willing to push through any situation no matter how people treat you friends.

This is what is involved if we want to seek Jesus with all our heart.

It will require effort and I'm telling you friends if you want to find Jesus the devil knows he's going to do all that he can to discourage you.

He's going to do all that he can to sway you from that path of determination and desire that you want.

And sometimes he's just going to throw anything and everything at you.

If we want to seek Jesus, it's going to require effort.

Series

Encounters With Jesus

Jesus’ Encounter with Zacchaeus

Transcript

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